This invention relates to the support of flexible cables and the like leading to a piece of equipment including one or more movable parts so as to minimize undesirable flexing of such cables as well as to avoid undue interference with other components of such equipment. More particularly, the present invention provides a system for supporting a plurality of cables, tubes, and the like leading to X-ray equipment such as an axial tomographic scanner whereby undesirable bending, flexing, and other movement of the cables are essentially prevented.
The use of tomographic scanning to obtain cross-sectional or profile pictures of an object has become quite widespread. This type of X-ray equipment finds particular utility in providing detailed cross-sections of the internal tissue structure of various parts of the human body. As such, this procedure has developed into an extremely useful tool.
A typical axial tomographic scanner comprises essentially a source arranged to direct X-rays or other penetrating radiation through a planar slice of the object to be examined, means to detect such transmitted radiation after it has passed through the object, and mechanism to alternately translate and rotate the source and the detecting means about the object during such examination thereof. To enable such a device to be operated, suitable power cables, other electrical wiring, cooling-water tubes, and the like (all hereinafter generically designated as "cables") must be led on to the device. Because of the alternate or sequential translational and rotational motions to which such device is subjected during use, these cables necessarily undergo a varying degree of bending and flexing which may result not only in damage to the cables themselves but also in interruption of the operation of the device because of the resultant destruction of one part or another thereof. In addition, there is always the necessity, during operation of the device, of minimizing or preventing interference of the cables with the moving and other parts of the same.
Various arrangements have been suggested heretofore to control the degree of such bending and/or flexing of the cables and/or to prevent in so far as possible any interference of the cables with other components of the scanner. In practice, however, these arrangements have not proved entirely satisfactory and leave something to be desired.